A multi-flowpath model for the interpretation of immiscible displacement experiments in heterogeneous soil columns

This work focuses on the phenomenon of the immiscible two-phase flow of water and oil in saturated heterogeneous soil columns. The goal is to develop a fast and reliable method for quantifying soil heterogeneities for incorporation into the relevant capillary pressure and relative permeability functions. Such data are commonly used as input data in simulators of contaminant transport in the subsurface. Rate-controlled drainage experiments are performed on undisturbed soil columns and the transient response of the axial distribution of water saturation is determined from electrical measurements. The transient responses of the axial distribution of water saturation and total pressure drop are fitted with the multi-flowpath model (MFPM) where the pore space is regarded as a system of parallel paths of different permeability. The MFPM enables us to quantify soil heterogeneity at two scales: the micro-scale parameters describe on average the effects of pore network heterogeneities on the two-phase flow pattern; the macro-scale parameters indicate the variability of permeability at the scale of interconnected pore networks. The capillary pressure curve is consistent with that measured with mercury intrusion porosimetry over the low pressure range. The oil relative permeability increases sharply at a very low oil saturation (< 10^− 3) and tends to a high end value. The water relative permeability decreases abruptly at a low oil saturation (~ 0.1), whereas the irreducible wetting phase saturation is quite high. The foregoing characteristics of the two-phase flow properties are associated with critical (preferential) flowpaths that comprise a very small percentage of the total pore volume, control the overall hydraulic conductivity, and are consistent with the very broad range of pore-length scales usually probed in soil porous matrix.     

Dissolved organic matter in pore water of freshwater sediments: effects of separation procedure on quantity, quality and functionality

Pore water was separated either with or without water extraction prior to centrifugation (7600 or 20 000 × g) in order to investigate the effects of separation procedure on the amount and properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM i.e. the material passing through a 0.45-μm filter) in three freshwater sediments. On the basis of solubility in alkaline, organic matter was concluded to compose of humic substances in two (S1 and S3) and of humin (S2) in one of the sediments. DOM in the samples was quantified by total organic carbon measurement. Specific UV-absorption (SUVA) and high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) analyses were used to characterize DOM. Sorption of pyrene was used as a measure for functionality of DOM. Both water extraction and centrifugation speed were shown to affect the properties of DOM; however, the effects were sediment dependent. Water extraction increased the amount of DOM separated from the two sediments that had humic character (S1 and S3). In most cases water extraction increased SUVA and shifted the molecular size distribution of DOM towards larger sizes. The separation procedure had also an effect on the functionality of DOM. In water extracted samples of S2 and S3 the sorption of pyrene was higher than in the corresponding samples separated without water extraction, whereas in S1 similar effect was not found. Generally, centrifugation speed had smaller effects on the properties of DOM than water extraction. The fact that the effects of separation procedure on DOM depend on the sediment characteristics complicates the comparison between samples and evaluation of functionality in field conditions.     

表面活性剂冲洗修复多氯联苯污染土壤多相流研究

多氯联苯(PCBs)是一种具有持久性、抗生物降解性、脂肪溶性和明显的生物毒性等特性的持久性有机污染物,PCBs在土壤中难于准确定位、难被分解和强烈吸附,去除土壤中PCBs比较困难.表面活性剂冲洗法可以通过提高PCBs溶解度和降低水-PCBs界面张力来实现PCBs从土壤中去除;表面活性剂冲洗PCBs污染土壤涉及气相、水相、NAPLs相和固相等物质,是多相共存并相互发生作用的过程,发生相对渗透率、饱和度和毛细压力的变化;另外,为研究表面活性剂冲洗土壤中PCBs的去除机理,并降低PCBs对研究人员的危害,采用微观孔隙结构网络模型是一种较新颖的和效果显著的研究方法.开展表面活性剂冲洗PCBs污染土壤多相流研究,可以为PCBs污染场地修复提供理论基础和实验支持,并促进我国POPs履约工作的顺利进行.